


Of Blizzards and Cancelled Flights

by musicforlife101



Series: Captain Canary Hiatus Fics [6]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Captain Canary Hiatus Fest, F/M, I think I will add to this later, Pre-Relationship, during a blizzard, sharing a hotel room, stuck in an airport
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-22
Updated: 2016-03-22
Packaged: 2018-05-28 07:33:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6320248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicforlife101/pseuds/musicforlife101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a major blizzard cancels all flights and Sara gets the last hotel room available, she offers to share it with a kind stranger she's been waiting with in the airport.</p>
<p>Late fill for Captain Canary Hiatus Fest Day 10 - AU #3</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Blizzards and Cancelled Flights

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the following prompts:  
> Both of our flights home for Christmas got snowed in by a freaking blizzard, there’s only one room left at the airport Hilton and we can’t get out of here for like, three days AU  
> and  
> stuck-in-an-airport-because-the-flights-were-SO-VERY-delayed-and-it’s-like-two-am AU
> 
> by the INSANE blizzard that hit my city in January and dropped record snowfall and closed everything for days, and by the actual times I've been stuck overnight at airports while flying cross-country
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

To say it was snowing would be the understatement of the century. It was a freaking blizzard outside. So much so that it was difficult to see any of the lights on the tarmac through the snow, which was blowing almost completely horizontally. They’d started delaying flights hours ago and Leonard Snart had been there even longer, waiting for his flight back to Central City for Christmas. Work had taken him to the east coast, but his sister was waiting for him at home.

A blonde in tight jeans, boots, and a high-necked white sweater had wandered over about an hour after he sat down by the window, carrying an overstuffed shoulder bag and pulling a small rolling case. She’d looked around, pout forming on her rose lips until she’d spotted the seat beside him where he’d put his bag.

“Do you mind if I sit?” she’d asked, gesturing at the seat. He’d looked up, taken in her bright but harried expression. “There’s nowhere else to sit.” After a moment, he’d nodded and taken his bags off the seat. Normally, he didn’t like being forced into close quarters in public spaces, especially with strangers, but she looked like the best of the lot. No squawling children or pets, not a messy, chattering tourist. She seemed remarkably normal and unobtrusive. And desperate. By that point, the waiting areas were already at capacity and people had started sitting on the floor beside any wall or pillar they could find.

Over the course of an hour, they traded off watching each other’s bags while they got up to use the restroom and check flight status. She apologized for bumping him when she reached for the outlet between them to charger her phone. He waved it off with an easy smile. It was the least transgression against his space today and the most contrite. Half an hour later, she flopped down onto her seat in a huff, startling the old woman on her other side. He glanced sideways at her.

“Sorry,” she grunted. “My flight is delayed two hours.”

“So is mine.” He paused. “Where are you flying?”

“Central City, on the way to Star City for Christmas with my family. You?”

“Central.” He paused. “Heading home for the holiday.” He glanced over their shoulders and out the window. “But if this keeps up, I doubt either of us are going to make it there tonight.”

She sighed. “The weather just said they expect two and a half feet overnight, and maybe more in the morning.”

A few yards to their left, the desk agent answered the phone, closing her eyes and listening to the person on the other end. Her expression got grimmer with every passing second. She hung up, turned around and picked up the PA microphone.

“They’re going to cancel the flights,” he said. She looked up at him, bemused. “I fly for work a lot. They never look happy when they have to cancel flights.”

Sure enough, a moment later, the desk agent’s voice rang through the gate area. “Attention in the terminal, all outgoing flights that have not yet boarded. We have received instructions to cancel all remaining flights until the storm passes. We do not expect any flights to go out for at least 36 hours, due to the heavy snow and wind in the area. Please line up in an orderly fashion at the nearest customer service podium to be booked onto a later flight or receive a voucher for the cost of your ticket. You may also book accommodations through partner hotels. Please be advised that space in hotels and on outbound flights is limited and extra flights have not been scheduled at this time. You may be given temporary tickets or vouchers for flights that have not yet been confirmed. Thank you.”

“We should get up there before all the rooms are gone,” she said, grabbing her bags and walking briskly toward the rapidly forming line. They were farther back than she would have liked, but they were not the worst off. Once they were actually in line and it seemed they would be there for some time, she turned around. “I’m Sara, by the way. Sara Lance.”

“Leonard Snart,” he replied, shaking her proffered hand. She smiled brightly at him, staying half turned even as she stood in line ahead of him.

The line moved slowly, as each person’s information was double-checked and they were fully booked on a new flight and into a hotel. It crawled to a standstill every time a hysterical passenger started yelling and swearing at the desk agent. She lifted her chin and got on with it each time it happened, ignoring the barrage for the most part. But Sara and Leonard both scowled when the man two people in front of them started going off on the poor woman.

“What an asshole,” Sara muttered. Leonard grunted in agreement.

When Sara finally reached the desk, she smiled sympathetically at the middle-aged woman working there. She handed over her ticket and ID before she was asked and waited for the agent (Gina, her nametag read) to pull up her record on the computer.

“I can rebook you onto a flight to Star City via Central City the day after tomorrow at 5pm.”

“That’s great,” Sara said quickly. It was probably the earliest flight available and that would be good enough.

“Do you need a hotel?” Sara nodded. “I have a room at the Double Tree.”

She nodded again. “I’ll take it.”

Gina printed out her boarding pass, hotel reservation, and a $15 meal voucher. Handing the paperwork over to Sara, she said, “There’s a shuttle to the hotel outside of baggage claim.”

Sara thanked her, took the paperwork and moved off to the side. She leaned against a pillar, watching the commotion of the line. Leonard was at the front, patiently waiting for Gina to help him as well. She assumed he would also need a hotel and they could probably walk to the shuttle together. Not that Sara had ever minded traveling alone, but the companionship was nice on a night like this. Well, morning, as it was already after 2am. And he was nice enough.

Leonard stepped away from the desk, carrying new tickets and papers, but with a disappointed frown. He glanced down at the papers in his hand, walking in her direction. He looked up, caught her eye and walked toward her with purpose.

“Aren’t you going to your hotel?”

“Figured we could walk to the shuttle together. There’s no reason to go it alone.”

He frowned. “I think you got the last room. They don’t have any left.”

She looked up at him, and wow he was taller than she’d realized. “We can share,” she offered without thinking. Her father would lecture her that she didn’t know this guy, she shouldn’t be offering to share a hotel room with him. But he would have to stay at the airport if she didn’t, as it wasn’t likely he could even get into the city to look for a room because everything was shutting down.

He blinked at her, silent in the wake of her offer. He opened his mouth to tell her no, she shouldn’t worry, he’d be fine. “If you’re sure.”

“Yes, I’m sure. I can’t let you stay here for two days.”

An amused smirk curled his lips. “Then lead the way.” He gestured with his arm and followed half a step behind her.

 

“I should call my sister,” Sara said, once they were on their way out and away from most of the crowds.

Leonard nodded. “I should call mine, too.”

They were in baggage claim, so they migrated to a bench and both pulled out their phones.

Sara waited as Laurel’s phone rang in her ear. “Sara? What’s happening over there? You said your flight was delayed and the news is saying that the storm of the century is hitting you right now!”

“Hi to you too Laurel.” Her sister huffed in her ear. “They cancelled all the flights. I can’t get out until the day after tomorrow. I’m booked at the Double Tree near the airport, and I’ll be there for a couple of days.”

“Are you by yourself?”

She glanced over at Leonard. “Uh, no. I made a friend. They ran out of hotel rooms, so we’re sharing.”

“Sara, do you really think that’s a good idea? You barely know this person.”

“You sound like Dad. Yes, it’s fine. Look, it’s really late, Laurel. I’ll call you tomorrow when we know what’s going on with the weather. Ok?”

“Yeah, alright. Stay warm.”

“I will. Tell Dad I love him.” They hung up and Sara stood to put on her coat.

 

Leonard brought up his sister’s number and pressed call. She’d be worried sick. “Lenny!”

“Hi Lisa.”

“Are you stuck in all that weather? Is your flight still delayed?”

“More like cancelled. They’re predicting snow in feet and the airport is closing. I’m staying at a hotel with a new…friend.”

“You made a friend at the airport? Really?”

“Yes, they ran out of rooms and she offered to share. Let it go, Lisa.”

“Not likely. Now, what hotel are you staying at?”

“The airport Double Tree. Lisa, I have to go. We need to get the shuttle to the hotel. I will call you tomorrow.”

“Fine. Love you, Lenny.”

“You too.” He hung up and stood as well. Sara was already pulling on a knee length white coat. She turned up the collar around her bright blue scarf and pulled on a matching knit cap. Leonard zipped up his parka to the neck and pulled his fur-trimmed hood over his head. They both donned their gloves and made their way outside to the shuttle stop. The line was long, and the wind blustered into the covered arrivals lanes, even as the building blocked most of the snow. A large bus with snow chains on its tires drove up and stopped just over five minutes later. The waiting passengers all packed into the bus, most of them holding their carryon bags on their laps and between their feet. Sara and Leonard were two of the last people on the bus, shuffling to the back and holding onto the handles as people packed into the aisle in front of them.

Leonard shuffled slightly back, but was unwilling to actually touch any part of the person behind him. Sara stepped back as well, her own need for personal space forcing her to back into Leonard’s space. She felt her leg brush his suitcase where it stood on the floor between his feet and stopped moving. The person in front of her stepped into her space and she squirmed in the tight position. The bus driver closed the door, effectively stopping anyone else from trying to squish into the too small space. Leonard wrapped his free hand around Sara’s shoulder, tugging her gently toward him and away from the sweaty man who was uncomfortably close to her.

She smiled up at him for a moment. He didn’t nod or smile or acknowledge the gesture, but she could tell he understood her gratitude. It took the bus close to thirty minutes to reach the hotel, despite the fact that it was in the airport district just down the street. The snow was so heavy that Sara didn’t even realize it was directly in front of them until about a minute before the bus stopped in the driveway. The passengers in front of them clambered off the bus with their bags and hurried for the door. The cover here helped even less than the one at the airport.

Once they were off the bus, Leonard stood upwind from Sara, using his parka to block some of the wind and snow blowing through the covered driveway. They made it inside the hotel, pausing for a moment to brush the snow from their coats in the entryway. It was warmer inside, and another long line to check in had already formed. It took a lot less time to get through than the customer service line at the airport, but it was also later and everyone was tired and irritable.

“Hello, may I have your reservation?” The man at the front desk was tall, and had dark shadows under his eyes. His nametag read Tim. Sara handed over the papers she’d been given earlier. She felt bad for him when she realized that he probably would be stuck here with them. “Ok, two queen beds, room 1007. For both of you?” She nodded. “Ok, I just need your name, sir, and I’ll need at least one credit card on file.” Leonard gave his name, and handed over a credit card, despite Sara’s protests.

“We can sort it out later,” he said.

She conceded his point with a tilt of her head. “Yeah, ok. You’re right. Right now, I just want to sleep.”

He nodded matter-of-factly and took their room keys from Tim. They headed to the elevators and packed in with several other stranded passengers. The rooms that had been made available to passengers were scattered throughout the hotel, forcing them to stop on almost every other floor until they reached ten. It wasn’t the top, but it was the highest of anyone in the elevator. They walked down the hallway to a room near the end, tiredly dragging their luggage behind them. Leonard opened the door and stepped in, holding it for Sara as she came in behind him.

It was a nice room with a big TV, a desk, a large squishy armchair, and two comfortable looking beds. There was also a big window on the far wall that was half covered in snow. It was pitch dark outside, though, so there wasn’t much to see anyway. Sara claimed the bed by the wall by tossing her bag on it.

“Mind if I take this one?” Leonard shrugged, dropping his own bag on the other bed. Sara went digging through her bag for something to sleep in, coming up with sweats and an oversized t-shirt. She pulled out her small toiletries bag, intending to at least wash her face and brush her teeth. “Did you want the bathroom first?” He shook his head and went back to digging through his bag. It was a lot smaller than hers and she wondered if he had enough in there to last the days they would be stuck here.

When she came back out, Leonard was in his undershirt, hanging up a few sweaters and both of their coats in the closet. Sara followed his lead, hanging up her own sweater and jeans while he changed into jogging bottoms and brushed his own teeth in the bathroom.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it. “We should sleep,” he said, not unkindly. “It’s really late and we can get to know each other in the morning.” Sara nodded, smiling a little. She _was_ very tired. “Is it too cold? Do you want me to turn up the heat?” he asked, still standing at the wall by the thermostat.

“Maybe just a little. You’re not cold?”

“I’ve never really minded it,” he answered absently as he fiddled with the thermostat. She flipped on the light by her bed and he turned off the main switch. She crawled under the blankets, shivering a little at the cold linen. “Goodnight Sara,” he said, pulling the blankets over his shoulders and reaching to turn out her light.

“Goodnight Leonard.”

 

* * *

  

The next morning, Sara woke to the bright, white light of the snow out the window. Leonard was already awake, sitting up in bed with the TV on, but muted. She wondered how he knew what was being said until she noticed the captions. Looking at him more fully, she wondered if awake was the right word. His eyelids drooped and he looked half-asleep.

“Morning,” she said, voice raspy with sleep.

He turned to look at her. “Good, you’re up. Five more minutes and I was going to go downstairs for coffee by myself.” She hummed in pleasure at the idea of coffee. He cleared his throat a little and sat up straighter. “I think they’re serving breakfast too.”

“Great.” She sat up slowly, staring longingly at the warm blankets she was leaving behind.

They both got out of bed and went about their morning routines and got somewhat dressed. Sara pulled on a hoodie and stuck her already sock-clad feet into a pair of sneakers. Leonard pulled on a sweater and tied his shoes. He tucked a room key and his phone into his pocket and gestured for Sara to go ahead of him.

Downstairs in the restaurant, they sat at a small table sipping coffee and munching on toast. The hotel had laid out a breakfast buffet with pastries, yogurt, and cereal, as well as a few hot options. But neither of them were really awake enough yet. They both stared past each other, or into their cups, for the first five minutes they sat there. Neither spoke.

“Not really a morning person?” Sara asked. Her coffee was almost gone.

Leonard shook his head. “No. You’re not either?”

She shrugged. “I’ve been on a strict schedule for a while, so staying up late isn’t normal anymore. And I was really looking forward to sleeping in for at least a week at home.” She stood. “I need food.” He looked up at her. “Come on. You’ll feel more awake.” He unfolded himself from the seat and followed her to the buffet.

 

* * *

 

Just after noon, they sat in their room watching the weather on TV. They’d taken some food from the buffet to have a light lunch since their breakfast was so late. And the storm continued to blow outside their window and behind the reporter on The Weather Channel. But the most pressing issue wasn’t being hungry or cold, it was boredom. Watching the news was mind numbingly dull. Leonard was sitting in the armchair, long legs crossed in front of him, reading a book. But he was definitely down to the last chapter from what Sara could see. She had already finished her book on the first leg of her plane ride.

Leonard closed his book, grunting in annoyance. It seemed he was bored too.

“Tell me something about you,” Sara said. “All I know is your name and that you have a sister.”

He didn’t smile, but it was a near thing. “I live in Central City. I’m a management consultant. I was in town working a job for Luthor Corp.” He raised an eyebrow. “You?”

“I’ve been in Tibet and Vietnam for the last year teaching English. I haven’t been home since last Christmas.”

“Home is Star City?”

“Yeah, my sister and my dad live there. I’ve been getting postcards and sending them, too, but it’s not the same.”

“No, it’s not.”

They were silent for a long moment.

“Want to play cards?” Sara asked.

Leonard shrugged. “Sure.”

She dug out a deck of cards from her bag and scooted back on her bed to make room for him to sit. They faced one another, sitting cross-legged on the duvet, as Sara dealt the cards to play Gin Rummy. That turned into Old Maid, and then to Go Fish, and then to Speed. After two hours they were frantically stacking cards and trying to beat each other’s hands to the piles, laughing even when they couldn’t figure out who was winning.

**Author's Note:**

> So I really liked writing this, despite it taking me some time to finish, and I'm considering continuing it because I think there's more to the story. But that will be sometime in the future.


End file.
